Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list, or delist sites that that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x). Some sites, designated "mixed sites," represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Africa there are 76 cultural, 39 natural and 4 mixed sites.[2] UNESCO may also specify that a site is in danger, stating "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List."[3] Fourteen African sites have been defined as in danger, accounting for 12% of the African sites and one short of half the total endangered sites.[4]

The list below contains an image of the site or part of the site; the name as inscribed by UNESCO; the location; the nominating state party; the criteria met by the site, including if it is a cultural, natural or mixed; the area in hectares and acres, excluding any buffer zones, with a value of zero implying that no data is published by UNESCO; the year the site was inscribed; and a description of the site. The list includes a number of sites for which the state party all belong to Europe, but the site is located in Africa; three such sites are located on the Canary Islands of Spain, one on Madeira of Portugal, one on Réunion of France, and one on Saint Helena of the United Kingdom.

Aapravasi Ghat was the first site chosen by the British government to take part in the "Great Experiment", where indentured laborers were used instead of slaves. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million contracted workers passed through Port Louis from India, either to work in Mauritius or to transfer to other British colonies.[5]

The ruins of the former Christian holy city contain a church, a baptistery, basilicas, public buildings, streets, monasteries, houses, and workshops, and were built over the tomb of Menas of Alexandria.[6] The World Heritage Committee designated Abu Mena as an endangered site in 2001, due to recent cave-ins in the area caused by the clay at the surface, which becomes semi-liquid when met with "excess water".[7]

Africa's largest protected area, located in the Saharan desert of Tenere, consists of the volcanic rock mass of Aïr and a small isolated Sahelian pocket with unique flora and fauna.[8] The natural reserve was placed on UNESCO's list of endangered sites in 1992, due to the increase in military conflicts and the hostage-taking of six Reserve staff in February. Removal from this list was considered in 1999, but as of 2009, its position remains unchanged.[9][10]

The ruins of the city of Aksum, dating from the 1st to the 13th century, mark the heart of ancient Ethiopia and what was the "most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia". It includes monolithicobelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs, and ruins of former castles.[11]

"Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. [...] Typically, houses with patios crowd along narrow streets around a mosque with a square minaret. They illustrate a traditional way of life centred on the nomadic culture of the people of the western Sahara."[15]

The former capital of Egypt from the Middle and New Kingdoms and city of the Egyptian god Amun contains relics from the height of Ancient Egypt. The temples, palaces and the necropolises of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens bear "a striking testimony to Egyptian civilization." [16]

Founded in the 9th century BCE, Carthage was developed into a trading empire spanning the Mediterranean, and was, according to UNESCO, "home to a brilliant civilization." The city was destroyed in 146 BCE in the Punic Wars at the hands of the Romans, but was later rebuilt by these.[17]

The Roman city of Leptis Magna was enlarged by Emperor Septimius Severus, who was had been born there. Public monuments, a harbour, a marketplace, storehouses, shops, and homes were among the reasons for its induction into the list.[19]

"A Phoenician trading-post that served as an outlet for the products of the African hinterland, Sabratha was part of the short-lived Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa before being Romanized and rebuilt in the 2nd and 3rd centuries [CE]."[20]

The important Roman outpost of Volubilis was founded in the 3rd century BCE to become the capital of Mauritania. It contained many buildings, the remains of which have survived extensively to this day.[21]

The site, north-east of Kumasi, hosts the final intact remains of the Ashanti Empire, which peaked in the 18th century. The dwellings, which are made of earth, wood, and straw, are susceptible to the damages caused by the "onslaught of time and weather."[22]

The park consists of sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands, and shallow bodies of water, all bordering the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Birds are often found to migrate in the area, accompanied by various species of sea turtles and dolphins, whose presence fishermen often use to attract fish.[23]

Located on the border of plain and mountain forests, the park in south-western Uganda is home to over 160 species of trees, over 100 species of ferns, and various species of birds and butterflies. Many endangered species are located in its surroundings as well, including the Mountain Gorilla.[24]

The site consists of eight protected areas that are among the richest in plant life worldwide, containing nearly 20% of Africa's total flora. Its scientific value is demonstrated by the presence of fire and radiation adaptivity in plants and seed dispersal by insects.[25]

The 127-site area contains the richest concentration of rock art in Central Africa, ranging from Stone Age paintings to contemporary work from farmers. The symbols depicted in the rock art are strongly centred around women, and retain a cultural significance for the Chewa.[26]

The town, south of the island of Santiago, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics, with remains dating back to the 16th century. Two churches, a royal fortress, and Pillary Square help comprise the tropical town's original street layout.[27]

The sandy plateau and cliffs of Bandiagara outline the site, featuring houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries, and Togu-Na meeting-places. Age-old social traditions such as masks, feasts, rituals, and ancestor worship also add to its cultural significance.[28]

Among the largest protected sites of West Africa, the park features the Comoé River and the unique flora which accompanies it.[29] The site was placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2003, due to unrest in Côte d'Ivoire, and various other factors such as poaching, wildfires, lack of proper management of the site, and overgrazing.[30]

The fortress was the residence of the Ethiopian emperors during the 16th and 17the century. The city remains, surrounded by a wall and featuring buildings with a Hindu and Arab influence, later transformed to a Baroque style by Jesuit missionaries.[36]

Fort Jesus is a Portuguesefort built in 1593 by order of King Philip I of Portugal (King Philip II of Spain), then ruler of the joint Portuguese and Spanish Kingdoms, located on Mombasa Island to guard the Old Port of Mombasa, Kenya.[37]

The site represent one of the least-disrupted island and marine ecosystems in the cool temperate zone. The cliffs are free of introduced mammals and features one of the world's largest colonies of sea birds.[43]

The city is located on a plateau and surrounded by gorges and savanna. It contains 82 mosques, three from the 10th century, 102 shrines and exceptional interior design in the townhouses. It is said to be the fourth-holiest city of Islam.[45]

Located in the middle of urban Cairo is one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, dating from the 10th century and reaching its golden age in the 14th century. It contains mosques, madrasah, hammams and fountains.[46]

Ichkeul Lake and the surrounding wetlands is a major stopover for hundreds of thousands of migrating bird, including ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingos. Ichkeul is the last remaining lake in a chain that once extended across North Africa.[48]

The park features a variety of landforms, including coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, swamps, and reed and papyrus wetland, caused by fluvial, marine and aeolian processes. This has resulted in an exceptional species diversity.[49]

The French colonial settlement from the 17th century is located on an island in the mouth of the Sénégal River. It was urbanized in the mid-19th century and subsequently played an important role in the culture and economy of the whole of West Africa.[52]

A unique Islamic city located on the Mediterranean coast, the former site overlooks the Carthaginian trading posts of the 4th century BCE. It contains remains of a citadel, old mosques and Ottoman-style palaces.[56]

As Africa's most saline large lake, Turkana is an excellent laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. They are a breading ground for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and several venomous snakes. The Koobi Fora deposits are rich in mammalian, molluscan and other fossil remains.[63]

The open savanna landscape lays at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers. It was the heart of the Mapungubwe Kingdom until the 14th century, when the area was abandoned, leaving untouched remains of palaces and settlements.[74]

The distinct rock landforms rise above the granite shield that covers most of the country. The large boulders have been used as natural shelters since the early Stone Age and feature a collection of rock paintings.[75]

The town was founded in the 1070s and remained a political, economic and cultural center for a long time. Monuments from that period include the Koutoubia Mosque, the kasbah and the battlements. The city also has newer architectural jewels, including palaces.[78]

The site consists of six national parks, all critically important to maintain the ongoing ecological processes necessary for the survival of the islands unique biodiversity, which have evolved in isolation for 60 million years.[96]

Covering most of the Rwenzori Mountains including Mount Margherita, Africa's third-highest peak, the park features glaciers, waterfalls and lakes in an Alpine landscape. It also features habitats of endangered species and unusual flora.[105]

The site consists of 11 separate forests spread across an area 200 kilometres (120 mi) along the coast. It contains the remains of fortified villages built during the 16th century by the Mijikenda. They are now considered sacred sites.[106]

Features more than 4,500 rock art paintings in the Kalahari Desert. Archaeological record give accounts of human and environmental activities for more than 100,000 years. Local communities regard Tsodilo as a place of worship.[126]